Stacie
Nov 12, 20201 min
Hosting for the holidays usually means making and heating several dishes at once! This is a problem we do not encounter for most of the year. So how do you solve it? What temperature is best?
Plan to cook the meat dish first. It will stay hot for an extended amount of time and it also needs to rest. This will give you about an hour of cooking time after your turkey has finished baking and it will still be hot.
Lower Temperature
Next you will need to compromise on the temperature of the oven. 25˚ difference will not affect the final product in the least. You will just need to adjust the cooking time. (See my blog post.) Usually, if you have lowered the temperature you will need about 15% more cooking time. Go for the middle - dishes at 350˚, 375˚ and 400˚ - compromise in the middle and cook everything at 375˚.
Rotate
It is also best to rotate your dishes halfway through cooking. This will ensure even baking. You will notice the outside will start to brown first and the interior will be less done.
Two rows? - Rotate top to bottom
Two rows and two dishes on each? Rotate top to bottom and from right to left
Quick reminder - You can not adjust the temperature of baked goods. Do those a day ahead and don't crowd the oven. They will cook more evenly if the air has room to circulate.